NFC West Odds

Is a potential shake-up on the horizon in the NFC West? The Cardinals are defending champions, but it's the 49ers who are getting some preseason buzz at the Bodog Sportsbook.

After years of mediocrity and wasted potential, the San Francisco 49ers (-110 NFC West odds) at Sportsbook.com appear ready for another NFC West championship-or at least the sportsbooks think so. Defense wins championships, they say, and San Fran had one of the better ones in 2010. The Niners finished fourth in points allowed under fiery head coach Mike Singletary, and there's no reason to believe they won't duplicate the success this season.

If there's a setback this season, it will likely come on the offensive side of the ball. The running game is in great shape; Frank Gore rushed for 1120 yards and 13 total touchdowns in just 14 games last season, and he'll be added by rookie linemen Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati-two first-rounders. The passing game is another story. Former bust Alex Smith showed some flashes, but he'll need to be more consistent this time around. He has help in the form of explosive tight end Vernon Davis, and second-year wide out Michael Crabtree is incredibly talented. There are definitely pieces in place here.

Despite having won back-to-back NFC West crowns, the Arizona Cardinals (+250 odds to win the NFC West) find themselves as underdogs this year. Kurt Warner has been the team's unquestioned leader and offensive catalyst, but the quarterback packed it in during the offseason. He'll be replaced by former first-round pick Matt Leinart.

Leinart is often regarded as a "bust" but that's not really fair; he had a pretty solid rookie season but was eventually replaced by Warner-not the worst thing in the world, being replaced by a potential Hall of Famer. Warner isn't the only departure; Anquan Boldin finally made his way out of town, leaving Larry Fitgerald, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet to handle receiving chores. They should be fine.

There have also been a few key departures on defense. Linebacker Karlos Dansby, arguably the unit's best player, has moved on via free agency. Saftey Antrel Rolle was cut and has since signed with the Giants. Fresh blood was brought in through the draft, but an already middle-of-the-pack defense could take a step back.

The Seattle Seahawks (+300) are a bit of a wild card. Pete Carroll takes over as head coach and, while he enjoyed a brilliant run at USC, he failed in his previous two stops in the pros. There are still plenty of questions on offense. Matt Hasselbeck will likely start at quarterback, but his star is certainly fading, and the Seahawks brought in Charlie Whitehurst (overpaying to do so) to give him some competition. The ground game will be a committee approach, but Justin Forsett is intriguing; he should some big-game ability in the second half of the season.

The "D" was disappointing last year. The Seahawks have some playmakers (Lofa Tatupu, Aaron Curry, Marcus Trufant), but they didn't always live up to their hype. Perhaps they've gelled after another season together. Seattle did draft safety Earl Thomas with the 14th pick in the draft, so that will give them another athlete to work with.

Finally, we come to the St. Louis Rams (+1200). There are value picks, and there are bad bets, and the Rams certainly fit into the latter category. St. Louis was an unmitigated disaster last year and hopes of an instant turnaround are non-existent. Rather, 2010 will be about building for the future. Quarterback Sam Bradford was chosen first overall in the draft and will serve as the franchise's "saviour." There's not much to look at on offense, though, besides poor running back Steven Jackson-who's destined for another year of 100-yard games and brutal poundings.

St. Louis allowed the second-most points in the NFL last year. A few veterans were brought in via free agency to stop the bleeding, but they're little more than stop-gaps. Ultimately, there's a long way to go in St. Louis.